WorldStage— Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested Faisal Abdulrasheed Maina, the fugitive son of the former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina.
Following his arrest in Abuja, the secret police subsequently handed him over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further legal proceedings.
Security sources disclosed that Faisal, who had been on the run since 2020, was tracked down and intercepted in the Karsana area of Abuja.
His arrest followed credible intelligence obtained by intelligence operatives indicating that he had secretly sneaked back into Nigeria after years of hiding abroad.
Faisal’s legal troubles began when the EFCC arraigned him on a three-count charge bordering on money laundering, conspiracy, and operating a fictitious bank account used to channel illicit funds diverted by his father.
After being granted bail during his initial trial, he breached his bail conditions and fled the jurisdiction, reportedly escaping to the United States.
This prompted the Federal High Court in Abuja to revoke his bail and declare him wanted.
Despite his disappearance, the criminal trial continued in his absence.
Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court eventually found him guilty and sentenced him in absentia to 14 years imprisonment.
The trial judge specifically directed that whenever Faisal was found within the borders of Nigeria, he must be immediately committed to a correctional facility to serve his prison term.
In a related historical context, Faisal has a track record of violently evading law enforcement.
During an earlier joint operation to arrest his father, the young Maina reportedly drew a pistol against DSS and EFCC agents in a desperate bid to resist arrest, before he was successfully disarmed.
With his latest arrest by the DSS and his subsequent transfer to the EFCC, anti-graft authorities are expected to present the convict before the court to formalise his re-arraignment and facilitate his transfer to a national custodial centre.
This brings a definitive end to his multi-year run as a high-profile fugitive.
